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^ Peace, Christianity, and the 
War in Europe 






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A SERMON 



SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1914 







BY ^ 



^ REV. THOS. J. BROWN 

^ Rector St. Luke's P. E. Church ^ 

^ Washington, D. C ^^ 

DELIVERED 






•^ PUBl.lSHKD 15Y RKUUEST 



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PRINTED BY 

Odd Fellows JouENAr> 

WASHINCTON, D. C. 



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Peace, Christianity, and the War in Europe 



A Sermon 



Revel, xi, 15: "And the seventh angel sounded; and 
there were great voices in Heaven, saying, The kingdoms of 
this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His 
Christ ; and He shall reign forever and ever. ' ' 

In a prophetic vision, veiled in deep and impenetrable 
mystery, the Lord revealed to His servant John, a prisoner 
on the Isle of Patmos, the things which are destined to come 
to pass during the present aeon, or dispensation of grace. 
Among other wonderful symbolic disclosures made to the 
apostle was that of the appearing of seven angels, which stood 
before the throne of God, to whom were given seven trumpets. 
Each of the seven angels, successively, and in turn, was com- 
manded to sound his trumpet. And there followed the vsoimd 
of each trumpet dreadful epoch-marking events on the earth, 
and among the nations, and peoples of the world. 

I shall not indulge in any speculation, or guess, as to how 
many of the angels have already sounded their trumpets; for 
such indulgence would be more than likely to prove rather 
diverting and curious than profitable and edifying. But I 
make bold to affirm, because the fact is patent and evident 
that the seventh angel has not yet sounded his trumpet. 
For there is nothing which stands out so conspicuously in 
relief and that is so clearly attested by the present wan-iug 
of the great nations in Europe as does the fact that "The 
kingdoms of this world have not, as yet, become the kiug- 

3 



doiiis of our Lord and of His Christ." But that there are not 
only countless churches to be found in all those countries 
which are now engaged in a sinful war, but that also those 
churches were founded, and have been supported and are main- 
tained by innumerable adherents to the Christian religion 
and faith, is not, for a moment, to be denied. Yet, the fact 
is, that the government and state policy of not a single one 
of those countries are dictated by and founded upon the 
principles of the Christian religion. That there are more or 
less of Christians in those nations now at war is only but 
an earnest and a pledge that the prophecy that they will 
all become converted and turn unto the Lord is in course of 
fulfillment; but not that it has been fulfilled. A part is. 
never equal to the whole. 

Nor is there any warrant for denominating a nation Chris- 
tian when and so long as its governmental policies manifest 
themselves to be hostile and antagonistical to the cardinal 
principles of Christianity. 

When the news that the great conflict in which the major 
part of Europe is now engaged was first bruited abroad to 
the world, men stood aghast ; and in their perplexity ex- 
claimed, as did Pilate to Jesus : "What hast thou done?" 

For many were fierce and loud in their condemnation of 
Christianity, as though it were the underlying and the moving 
cause of the breaking of the peace and good will upon the 
earth. The fallacious conclusion unto which they came was 
derived from the false premises that the nations that are 
parties to the fratricidal strife now decimating the faire.st 
part of Europe are all Christians. But the answer which 
Jesus made to the question of Pilate is pertinent and applica- 
ble to those, who, to-day, seek to discredit Christianity be- 
cause of the present war. Said Jesus: "My kingdom is not 
of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would 
my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews : 
but now my kingdom is not from hence." But — 

I am concerned at present only to show that the destructive 
war, now in progress in Europe, is not being waged for the 



furtherauce and advanceiiient of the cause of Christiauity. 

So; the millions of men mobilized and marshaled upon the 
battlefield, and which oppose armies with armies, in hostile 
array, are not inspired and actuated by the spirit of Jesus 
Christ; nor are they, primarily, enlisted to conserve a pur- 
pose of establishing the principle of righteousness and justice 
on the earth; but are animated unto wrath and destruction, 
by the lust of power, by covetousness, by avarice, and for 
greed and gain. The spirit which has seized, and that con- 
trols, the powers of Europe is utterly anti-Christian. 

I dare not presume to predict what will be the ultimate 
good that will result from the war, which now so distresses 
and perplexes the nations of the earth. But if no other 
good comes of it than that of causing Christians to realize 
that the kingdoms of this world have not, as yet, become the 
kingdoms of our God and of His Christ, still not a little will 
have been gained from it to Christianity. But let it, mean- 
time, never be doubted that though conceived and begotten 
in iniquity, yet will God utilize this war to the general 
amelioration of the condition of mankind, and to the ad- 
vancement of the establishment of His kingdom on the earth, 
and to the honor and glory of His name. 

For it is written: ''The fierceness of man shall tiu-n to 
Thy praise, and the fierceness of them shalt Thou refrain." 

But if this dreadful war shall serve to free Christians of 
the delusion, of which, for the most part, they are and have 
been holden, that the nations of Europe and our own nation 
are Christian, then it is possible that they will cease to look 
to earthly governments to effect moral and religious reforms 
but will cooperate more with the divine institution founded 
l)y Christ for that purpose. I have been wont, for a long 
time, with increasing apprehension and distrust, to regard 
the growing tendency, among even the ('hi-istians, to look to 
and to trust the government of men as though it were the 
government of God. For it has come to pass that, nowadays 
men are wont to ti'ust less to the religion of Jesus Chri.st 
and more to science and to the government as the best and 



most effective agency wherewith to accomplisli the regen- 
eration of the world. 

Millions of dollars have been freely given for the estab- 
lishment of a bureau, apart from that instituted of Christ, 
for the purpose of propagating and promoting the establish- 
ment of eternal peace among men ; while the church can, with 
difficulty, hardly get an hundred dollars to support the 
heralds and ambassadors of the King, proclaiming His proc- 
lamation of: "Peace on earth, and good will toward men." 

You have heard the cry of the emissaries of the Carnegie 
Peace Foundation, saying "Peace! Peace!" But there is no 
peace ; neither shall there ever be till ' ' the kingdoms of the 
world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His 
Christ ; and He shall reign forever and ever. ' ' 

But, apart from the Christian church, what institution else 
is to be found on the earth that owns and acknowledges 
Christ Jesus as King, and that holds itself bound to be gov- 
erned and controlled by His will? Where, on the earth, is to 
be found a state, whether a republic, kingdom, or empire, 
where .President, King, or Emperor, as the minister of Jesus 
Christ, is exercising authority and rule in accordance with 
and in obedience to His will, as revealed in the gospel? 

Yet, in reference to the Carnegie Peace Foundation, I 
earnestly deprecate being understood as depreciating the 
desire which prompted the establishment of such an insti- 
tution. 

For the desire for peace is most commendable. But the 
pity, and what is exceedingly to be regretted, is that the in- 
stitution and means which the Prince of Peace has devised 
and established for the making and conservation of peace 
and good will among men, as it would seem, has been adjudged 
inefficient and inadequate to that end. 

For the peace foundation has been established upon the 
assumption that the attainment and maintenance of peace is 
possible, irrespective of whether men be Christians or not. 



Hut that assinni)tioii is utterly at variaiuie with, and in direct 
contradiction to, the words of Jesus, that: "These things I 
have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In 
the world ye shall have tribulation ; but be of good cheer. 
I have overcome the world." 

The assumption on which rests the Carnegie Peace Founda- 
tion is that peace can be established among, and be maintain- 
ed between, the nations of the earth without the necessity 
of regeneration. That our old human nature, as it is, with- 
out any change, offers a sufficiently substantial basis on which 
to build a magnificent and everlasting temple of peace, in 
which all the peoples and nations of the earth can worship 
in sweet amity. But you, my brethren, mnst perceive that 
that assumption is diametrically the antithesis of that on 
which Christ would have us build our hope of peace in Him. 
For He demands unequivocally and emphatically that we 
must be born again. "Except a man be born again, he can 
not see the Kingdom of God." "But the Kingdom of God 
is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and 
joy in the Holy Ghost." 

Now, but except the church, the divine institution of our 
Lord Himself, there is never another institution on the earth 
given, wholly and entirely, to the preaching and propagation 
of the gospel of peace, founded upon the regeneration of 
mankind. According, then, to the faith of the Christian 
church, instead of tending to peace, they do but make for 
confusion who seek to establish peace upon the earth on any 
other foundation save that of the regeneration of the nations 
in Jesus Christ. 

When the seventh angel shall blow his trumpet, proclaiming 
that "the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms 
of our Lord and of His Christ," the saying of St. Paul that 
"Now in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off, are 
made nigh by the blood of Christ; for He is our peace, who 



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hath made botli one, and luith liroken down the middle wall 
of partition between us," will then have been realized. 

But until that propitious time, which yet lingers and which 
is to be devoutly hoped for, shall have come, it behooves us. 
who profess and call ourselves Christians, to work and to 
pray unceasingly, that God's Kingdom come, and that His 
will be done on earth by men, as angels do it in Heaven. 

But not, brethren, imtil all the nations that dwell on the 
earth shall have been converted and shall have turned them 
imto Him whom God hath highly exalted ; unto Jesus, a name 
which is above every name ; and that at the name of Jesus 
every knee shall bow, of things in Heaven and things in 
earth, and things under the earth ; and every tongue shall 
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the 
Father, will peace on earth and good M'ill among men obtain. 

"Where is Thy reign of peace, and purity, and love? 
When shall all hatred cease, as in the realms above? 
When comes the promised time that war shall be no more, 
Oppression, lust, and crime shall fiee Thy face before? 
We pray Thee, Lord, arise and come in Thy great might ; 
Eevive our longing eyes, which languish for Thy sight." — 

Amen. 






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